Because hTrak scans the manufacturers’ barcodes, a flag can be set which enforces collection of the lot number and expiry date, once a device is identified as a prosthetic in the master data base, by prompting the handheld user to scan the secondary barcode containing the lot number and expiry date of any devices used during a procedure. Some manufacturers embed all the data elements in a single barcode. In this instance, all data elements including lot number and expiry date are automatically captured through a single barcode scan. Scanning an expired device will result in an audible and visual warning that this particular device is expired. If the decision is taken to proceed with the use of the device, the expiry information forms part of the audit trail and is flagged in the database information on that particular procedure.

Devices and patients affected by any device recall can be identified through a simple database query in seconds and a report generated identifying all procedural activity relevant to that device and lot number. This also enables a report to be run at the end of the stock take which identifies all stock at risk from an expiry date perspective. This allows corrective action to be undertaken with potentially significant cost saving results.